Well fluid extraction jet pump providing access through and below packer

Abstract

A through-accessible reversible operation jet pump for attachment to a tubing string includes a pump housing having a pump housing interior and a jet pump assembly retrievably disposed in the pump housing interior. The jet pump assembly includes a carrier, a carrier nozzle in the carrier and at least one carrier opening in the carrier and establishing communication between the carrier nozzle and the pump housing interior. The jet pump assembly is adapted to be selectively removed from the pump housing interior through the tubing string as the pump housing remains attached to the tubing string. The carrier or the jet pump assembly is selectively positional in a first orientation in the pump housing interior to facilitate operation of the jet pump in a first fluid flow direction operational mode. The carrier of the jet pump assembly is selectively positional in a second orientation in the pump housing interior to facilitate operation of the jet pump in a second fluid flow direction operational mode opposite the first fluid flow direction operational mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A through-accessible reversible operation jet pump for attachment to a tubing string and providing access through a packer beneath or distal to the jet pump in a well annulus, comprising:
 a pump housing having a pump housing wall defining a pump housing interior, the pump housing configured for coupling to the tubing string, the pump housing interior having a pump housing inner diameter matching a tubing string inner diameter of the tubing string; 
 a jet pump assembly retrievably disposed in said pump housing interior, said jet pump assembly having a proximal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing wall of said pump housing, at least one proximal seal between said proximal carriage head and said pump housing wall, a distal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing wall of said pump housing in spaced-apart relationship to said proximal carriage head, at least one middle seal and at least one distal seal between said distal carriage head and said pump housing wall, a distal carriage head bore in said distal carriage head, at least one fluid outlet opening between said at least one middle seal and said at least one distal seal and communicating with said distal carriage head bore, a carrier releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head and said distal carriage head, a carrier nozzle in said carrier and communicating with said distal carriage head bore, at least one carrier opening in said carrier and establishing communication between said carrier nozzle and said pump housing interior and an annular space unobstructed between an outer surface of said carrier and an inner surface of said pump housing wall of said pump housing; 
 said jet pump assembly adapted to be selectively removed from said pump housing interior through the tubing string as said pump housing remains attached to the tubing string with said pump housing interior unobstructed and having a uniform cross-sectional volume along its length when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior; 
 said carrier of said jet pump assembly selectively positional in a first orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a first fluid flow direction operational mode in which fluid is flowable in a first direction through said proximal carriage head, said carrier and said distal carriage head, respectively; 
 said carrier of said jet pump assembly selectively removable from said pump housing interior, orientable in 180 degree relationship to said first orientation and positional in a second orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a second fluid flow direction operational mode opposite said first fluid flow direction operational mode and in which fluid is flowable in a second direction through said distal carriage head, said carrier and said proximal carriage head, respectively; and 
 said well annulus accessible through said tubing string, said pump housing interior of said pump housing and said packer when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior. 
 
     
     
       2. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 1  further comprising at least one circumferential proximal seal groove in said proximal carriage head and wherein said at least one proximal seal is disposed in said at least one circumferential proximal seal groove, at least one circumferential middle seal groove in said distal carriage head and wherein said at least one middle seal is disposed in said at least one circumferential middle seal groove and at least one circumferential distal seal groove in said distal carriage head and wherein said at least one distal seal is disposed in said at least one circumferential distal seal groove. 
     
     
       3. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 1  wherein said carrier comprises a carrier inlet end releasably coupled to either said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head and a carrier outlet end releasably coupled to either said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head. 
     
     
       4. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 3  wherein said distal carriage head comprises at least one reservoir fluid passage communicating with said pump housing interior of said pump housing, and further comprising at least one pump housing opening in said pump housing and communicating with said at least one fluid outlet opening. 
     
     
       5. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 4  wherein said distal carriage head comprises a proximal head end and a distal head end, and said at least one fluid outlet opening is disposed between said proximal head end and said distal head end. 
     
     
       6. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 5  wherein said at least one reservoir fluid passage extends between and opens to said proximal head end and said distal head end. 
     
     
       7. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 6  further comprising a distal carriage head neck extending from said proximal head end, and wherein said carrier is releasably coupled to said distal carriage head neck. 
     
     
       8. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 1  further comprising a mixing chamber having a straight chamber segment communicating with said carrier nozzle and a diverging chamber segment communicating with said straight chamber segment. 
     
     
       9. A through-accessible reversible operation jet pump for attachment to a tubing string and providing access through a packer beneath or distal to the jet pump in a well annulus, comprising:
 a pump housing having a pump housing wall defining a pump housing interior, the pump housing configured for coupling to the tubing string, the pump housing interior having a pump housing inner diameter matching a tubing string inner diameter of the tubing string; 
 a jet pump assembly retrievably disposed in said pump housing interior, said jet pump assembly including:
 a proximal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing wall; 
 at least one proximal seal between said proximal carriage head and said pump housing wall; 
 a distal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing wall in spaced-apart relationship to said proximal carriage head; 
 at least one middle seal and at least one distal seal between said distal carriage head and said pump housing wall; 
 a distal carriage head bore in said distal carriage head; 
 at least one fluid outlet opening between said at least one middle seal and said at least one distal seal and communicating with said distal carriage head bore; 
 an elongated carrier having:
 a carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head; 
 a carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head; 
 a carrier nozzle in said carrier between said carrier inlet end and said carrier outlet end, said carrier nozzle communicating with said distal carriage head bore and having a nozzle bore converging toward said carrier outlet end; and 
 at least one carrier opening in said carrier, said at least one carrier opening establishing communication between said carrier nozzle and said pump housing interior; 
 
 
 an annular space unobstructed between an outer surface of said carrier and an inner surface of said pump housing wall of said pump housing; 
 said jet pump assembly adapted to be selectively removed from said pump housing interior through the tubing string as said pump housing remains attached to the tubing string with said pump housing interior unobstructed and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional volume along its length when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior; 
 said carrier selectively positional in a first orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a first fluid flow direction operational mode, with said carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head and said carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said distal carriage head in said first orientation in which fluid is flowable in a first direction through said proximal carriage head, said carrier and said distal carriage head, respectively; 
 said carrier selectively removable from said pump housing interior, orientable in 180 degree relationship to said first orientation and positional in a second orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a second fluid flow direction operational mode opposite said first fluid flow direction operational mode, with said carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said distal carriage head and said carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head in said second orientation, and in which fluid is flowable in a second direction through said distal carriage head, said carrier and said proximal carriage head, respectively; and 
 said well annulus accessible through said tubing string, said pump housing interior of said pump housing and said packer when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior. 
 
     
     
       10. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 9  wherein said distal carriage head comprises at least one reservoir fluid passage communicating with said pump housing interior of said pump housing, and further comprising at least one pump housing opening in said pump housing and communicating with said at least one fluid outlet opening. 
     
     
       11. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 10  wherein said distal carriage head comprises a proximal head end and a distal head end, and said at least one fluid outlet opening is disposed between said proximal head end and said distal head end. 
     
     
       12. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 11  wherein said at least one reservoir fluid passage extends between and opens to said proximal head end and said distal head end. 
     
     
       13. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 11  further comprising a distal carriage head neck extending from said proximal head end, and wherein said carrier is releasably coupled to said distal carriage head neck. 
     
     
       14. A through-accessible reversible operation jet pump for attachment to a tubing string having a tubing string inner diameter and providing access through a packer beneath or distal to the jet pump in a well annulus, comprising:
 a pump housing having a pump housing wall defining a pump housing interior, the pump housing configured for coupling to the tubing string and the pump housing interior having a pump housing inner diameter matching the tubing string inner diameter of the tubing string; 
 a jet pump assembly retrievably disposed in said pump housing interior, said jet pump assembly including:
 a proximal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing interior, said proximal carriage head having a proximal carriage head bore; 
 at least one proximal seal between said proximal carriage head and said pump housing wall; 
 a distal carriage head sealingly and slidably engaging said pump housing interior in spaced-apart relationship to said proximal carriage head, said distal carriage head having:
 a distal carriage head bore; 
 at least one reservoir fluid passage coextensive with said distal carriage head and communicating with said pump housing interior of said pump housing; 
 at least one middle seal and at least one distal seal between said distal carriage head and said pump housing wall; 
 a distal carriage head bore in said distal carriage head; and 
 at least one fluid outlet opening between said at least one middle seal and said at least one distal seal and communicating with said distal carriage head bore; and 
 
 an elongated carrier having:
 a carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head; 
 a carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head or said distal carriage head; 
 a carrier nozzle in said carrier between said carrier inlet end and said carrier outlet end, said carrier nozzle having a nozzle bore communicating with said proximal carriage head bore and said distal carriage head bore and converging toward said carrier outlet end, a nozzle tip terminating said nozzle bore and a nozzle chamber communicating with said nozzle tip, said nozzle tip protruding into said nozzle chamber; 
 at least one carrier opening in said carrier, said at least one carrier opening establishing communication between said nozzle chamber and said pump housing interior; and 
 a mixing chamber having a straight chamber segment communicating with said nozzle chamber and a diverging chamber segment communicating with said straight chamber segment and extending toward said carrier outlet end; 
 
 
 an annular space unobstructed between an outer surface of said carrier and an inner surface of said pump housing wall of said pump housing; 
 said jet pump assembly adapted to be selectively removed from said pump housing interior through the tubing string as said pump housing remains attached to the tubing string with said pump housing interior unobstructed and having a substantially uniform cross-sectional volume along its length when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior; 
 said carrier selectively positional in a first orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a first fluid flow direction operational mode, with said carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head and said carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said distal carriage head in said first orientation and in which fluid is flowable in a first direction through said proximal carriage head, said carrier and said distal carriage head, respectively; 
 said carrier selectively removable from said pump housing interior, orientable in 180 degree relationship to said first orientation and positional in a second orientation in said pump housing interior to facilitate operation of said jet pump in a second fluid flow direction operational mode opposite said first fluid flow direction operational mode, with said carrier inlet end releasably coupled to said distal carriage head and said carrier outlet end releasably coupled to said proximal carriage head in said second orientation and in which fluid is flowable in a second direction through said distal carriage head, said carrier and said proximal carriage head, respectively; and 
 said well annulus accessible through said tubing string, said pump housing interior of said pump housing and said packer when said jet pump assembly is removed from said pump housing interior. 
 
     
     
       15. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 14  wherein said distal carriage head comprises a proximal head end and a distal head end and said at least one fluid outlet opening is disposed between said proximal head end and said distal head end, and further comprising at least one pump housing opening in said pump housing and communicating with said at least one fluid outlet opening. 
     
     
       16. The through-accessible reversible operation jet pump of  claim 15  wherein said at least one reservoir fluid passage extends between and opens to said proximal head end and said distal head end.